WBO welterweight champion Antonio Margarito (33-4, 24 KOs) calmly took the podium at Saturday's press conference at the Mandalay Bay Resort Casino in Las Vegas confidently predicting: "The Tijuana Tornado will strike again!" Assuring victory in his next bout, Margarito continued: "Everybody they put in front of me is going down!" Margarito faces Joshua Clottey (30-1, 20 KOs) on December 2 in a bout televised by SHOWTIME. Earlier this year, Floyd Mayweather declined a record $8 million dollar pay-day to face Margarito. Instead Mayweather will face Carlos Baldomir next month in another welterweight title bout. "I am crossing my fingers that Baldomir beats Mayweather and that Baldomir fights me because I know Mayweather does not want to fight me," stated Margarito. Describing his fighter as "fearsome," Margarito's promoter Bob Arum addressed the media: "I really don't blame Mayweather for not wanting to get in the ring with Margarito." Arum continued, "Mr. Pound-for-Pound ran like hell when we offered him $8 million to fight Margarito."